Music Archives - Page 2 Of 5

December 18, 2020

“Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square” Review!

2020 needed a savior of one kind or another, and we could do a lot worse than Dolly Parton singing Biblical messages of love and charity while dressed up in rhinestone-encrusted white cowboy boots and giant, glittery, golden angel wings, that’s all I’m saying. The legendary country singer’s new Netflix holiday movie Christmas On The Square might be just a bit too blindingly bright and sparkly for some, and perhaps it’s a little too fervently energetic for others, and for a lot of people it might be much too bizarre…but maybe all you’ve got to do is open your heart to Dolly (she’s very persuasive), and let the metaphorical Christmas lamplighter light up your holiday spirit and guide you out of the dark pit of despair. I don’t know. It sounds a lot more convincing when Dolly Parton is whispering it in that sing-song voice of hers.

Christmas On The Square is an unabashedly weird movie, and the Christmas lamplighter is probably the least absurd of several dozen comically fantastical plot twists, characters, and story beats. Thankfully it won’t take you long to decide if it’s a new holiday classic for you and your family, or something better enjoyed over an alcoholic eggnog: within the first ten to fifteen minutes, you’ll have already been introduced to Angel (Dolly Parton herself, disguised as a homeless woman begging for “change”: I see what you did there, Dolly), you’ll have already witnessed the first of the film’s many frantic musical numbers, and you’ll have met the film’s villain/protagonist Regina (Christine Baranski, having the most fun out of anybody), a ruthless money-making machine whose current mission is to evict the inhabitants of her Midwestern hometown on Christmas Eve so a massive shopping mall can take its place. If that sounds suspiciously similar to the plot of A Christmas Carol, well…yes, it is essentially the same story. But perhaps not so much an adaptation of the original Charles Dickens novel as the more recent (and let’s be honest, far more enjoyable) Muppets Christmas Carol, which is also a quirky musical – although I must confess that the Muppets film has better songs than this one, and is far and away the better movie in general.

It’s not even that Parton’s songs for Christmas On The Square are bad, or badly-written, though they’re certainly nothing close to what she’s capable of at her best. It’s just that…she’s so rarely the one actually getting to sing them. And this isn’t some kind of “I Will Always Love You” situation, where she hands an already great song to a powerful vocalist who makes the song ten times better. Christmas On The Square has a surprisingly weak lineup of vocal talent beside Parton, Baranski, and Jenifer Lewis (who has just one song all to her own: “Queen Of Mean”, the most lyrically playful of the film’s musical numbers), and it gives most of its potentially awesome songs to Josh Segarra’s character, Pastor Christian. Segarra is a halfway-decent singer with the slightly grating rustic charm you’d expect from his goody-goody character, but his voice isn’t strong enough to carry songs like “Try”, which in particular demands to be either more powerful and show-stopping, or more quiet and intimate, than the middle-of-the-road performance we’re blessed with instead. And the film clearly had the means to go in either direction: one of the film’s most interesting singers, a choir member and supporting character played by Matthew Johnson, threatens to overshadow Segarra’s rendition of the song with his own soulful background vocals – while Dolly Parton herself gets to softly recite a single verse over the rushed end-credits. Segarra is better suited to songs like “You”, an overly earnest romantic duet between him and Mary Lane Haskell.

Earnestness is not something that typically poses a problem in holiday movies, where one expects – and indeed hopes – for the messaging to be sweet and simple. And it’s not even necessarily a problem here. But the strange thing about Christmas On The Square is how rapidly it pivots from “sweet and simple holiday musical” to “family-friendly soap-opera complete with emergency hospital visits, teen pregnancy, and complicated family-drama”, and then back again. And that’s not even factoring in the random, campy, semi-absurdist interludes focused on the Angels and their hijinks. The tonal inconsistencies feel unintentional and jarring rather than comedic, and it goes on like this until the end of the movie, which includes a truly bizarre third-act plot twist. Remember Last Christmas (which, incidentally, came out last Christmas), that George Michael-inspired musical about a woman falling in love with the ghost of the heart donor who saved her life the previous year? Yeah…think that kind of twist, but without the necessary comedic angle.

The movie’s secret weapon, however, is Dolly Parton – and it employs her at every opportune moment, just as a scene begins to lag or a musical number starts meandering. Some would say the movie relies on her a little too heavily at points, and sure, it probably does. But Parton’s aura is so strong and so all-encompassing (and most of the rest of the cast so boring and wooden), that it’s impossible to dismiss that as a fault. Personally, I think she could have done this whole thing as a one-woman show, and it would have been even better – and probably no weirder than it already is.

Besides, Dolly Parton poured a significant chunk of change into funding the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine while many wealthy celebrities were still under the impression we wanted to hear them incoherently singing from their palatial estates: I think she deserves to steal the spotlight in this weird, clunky, passion project that, without her, would probably be a forgettable mess. At least Christmas On The Square‘s tonal inconsistencies produced something strangely enjoyable, unlike those of a certain early-pandemic celebrity sing-along I could mention.

Movie Rating: 5.5/10

September 15, 2020

Madonna Biopic To Be Directed By…Madonna Herself?

The long list of semi-historical/mostly fantastical biopics about the lives of famous musicians continues to grow at an alarming rate, but Madonna’s newly-announced biopic stands out from the crowded field for a number of reasons: firstly, because it’s one of the few so far that centers around a female artist, and secondly, because it’s the first to be co-written and directed by the biopic’s very own subject. Madonna, one of the biggest names in 80’s pop music, isn’t about to let someone else get to her life story first – she’s taking the reins herself and exercising almost complete creative control over how this movie gets made. Which is…interesting, to say the least.

It’s unclear yet if the biopic will cover one specific period of Madonna’s life, but the announcement from the artist herself makes me think that this is going to be a sprawling film that doesn’t miss any of the highlights of her career: from her work as “a musician, actress, director, author and entrepreneur who informs every aspect of global culture” to her role as a trendsetter “transforming our understanding of art, sexuality, feminism and the role of women in entertainment”. Some will call it egotistical, but in some regards, having Madonna herself be the driving force behind getting her biopic made could be an exciting opportunity to see more of the “unvarnished” and “untold” story that she promised in her press release. Does it come across as a bit self-congratulatory? Yeah, but it’s the sort of power move that Madonna is famous for, and autobiographical films are nothing new. The only real difference is that this is a story that most of us know – or think we know, according to Madonna – already, so it will be much easier to fact-check and tell truth from fiction.

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Michigan to Catholic parents. A college dropout, she moved to New York City and began performing as a backup singer and dancer. Her big break as a solo artist came in 1981 with the release of her debut single, Everybody, which became an instant hit. Throughout the 1980’s, Madonna continued to achieve success after success, while simultaneously revamping herself and her image on a regular basis, becoming a controversial figure towards the end of the decade due to her edgy performances and career choices. Nowadays, she has established herself as an activist for a number of issues, and founded the Raising Malawi charitable organization to try and help the nation’s orphans, who struggle with poverty, hunger, and hardship. Importantly to me, she arrived onstage at Eurovision 2019 with a politically-charged performance that had viewers a little confused and more than a little divided over whether to praise her bravado or scratch their own ears out. There’s certainly an entertaining story there.

The big question on everybody’s lips – and the question that earned my tweet about the upcoming biopic a place in the news story’s official Twitter Moment – is who will play the young Madonna. Some have suggested jokingly that Madonna will use de-aging technology to make herself the star: I don’t think that’s likely, so my ideal choice is Emmy-award winner Julia Garner, whose big breakout role in Netflix’s crime-drama Ozark has earned her critical acclaim, and whose effortless ability to rock eccentric, sparkly Met Gala fashion makes her the perfect candidate to pull off Madonna’s many, many, many elaborate costumes. Physically, the actress bears a strong resemblance to a young Madonna as well.

We’ll have to wait and see which direction Madonna and her co-writer Diablo Cody decide to go on, but at the moment I think it’s safe to say that this has quickly become one of the most highly-anticipated musical biopics: at least until a Fleetwood Mac or Led Zeppelin biopic gets announced. Personally, I’m very glad that this means another female musician will get the recognition she deserves on the big screen, and I’m excited to see more biopics like this, especially ones devoted to Black women and women of color in music: an Aretha Franklin biopic is already finished and just waiting for a break in coronavirus to release, and the popularity of the Gladys Knight/Patti LaBelle livestream concert gives me hope that one or both of those outstanding women will be the subject of another film.

What are your feelings on Madonna’s music and legacy, and who would you like to see play her? Share your own thoughts, theories and opinions in the comments below!

August 14, 2020

Howard Ashman’s Story Is Brought To Life In “Howard”!

Howard is yet more proof that one of the Disney+ streaming platform’s greatest strengths, despite an overall lack of original content, is its catalog of documentaries – not all of which, to be fair, were created exclusively for the service. Between this, Into The Unknown: The Making Of Frozen II, The Imagineering Story and Waking Sleeping Beauty, viewers are in for a treat if they ever seek out this particular genre on Disney+. Unfortunately, it remains one of the service’s better kept secrets that all these films and miniseries’ are even on there at all. Howard, which explores the life and times of one of the studio’s most celebrated songwriters as well as the impact he had on the Disney Renaissance, is neither the most illuminating nor the most well-made of these documentaries, but it is a welcome addition to the collection – and like the rest, it affords us a much-needed glimpse behind the curtain into the making of Disney magic: particularly the blood, sweat and tears that goes into the creative process.

Now, if you’re already familiar with many of the details of Howard Ashman’s story (and/or if you are subscribed to the superb Dreamsounds channel on YouTube, which examines Disney music through an LGBTQ+ lens and as a result focuses several video essays around Ashman), then Howard probably won’t be anything too groundbreaking. The film goes over all the pivotal moments in Ashman’s life, from his youth to his accomplishments in musical theater and film, to his tragic death from AIDS, before closing off with a look back at his legacy – accompanied by a montage which includes footage from Disney’s live-action remakes of Beauty & The Beast and Aladdin – but while it does also dig a little deeper into his personal life it still feels distanced and a bit cold until the very end: though this could be because the film only uses voiceover from the people who knew and loved Ashman to narrate a long string of old photographs, snippets of footage, etc, rather than allowing us to attach faces and, most importantly, real emotions to the names of the interviewees.

Probably the most important element of the film is how it tackles the latter period of Howard Ashman’s life, while he was simultaneously turning out some of his greatest work for Disney and also suffering from AIDS. The documentary appropriately doesn’t make the whole story about Disney (though you might think that’s the case early on, as Ashman’s sister recounts how as a child he used to create fantastical stories about magic and made-up characters), nor does it gloss over the horrors of the AIDS epidemic: the 1980’s was a terrifying and extremely dangerous place for gay men, which the documentary makes very clear by recounting how Ashman kept his illness a closely-guarded secret until near the end of his life for fear of losing his insurance and being fired by Disney. Just because he was working for a studio with a reputation for charming, happily-ever-after fairytales doesn’t mean he was oblivious to the reality that at the time (and even now, to some extent), there was no surety that Disney was an LGBTQ+ friendly company or that they would accommodate his needs (they did, much to Ashman’s relief; sending their teams of animators and writers to his home in upstate New York rather than requiring him to fly back-and-forth between the East and West coasts, and continuing to involve him in the songwriting process for Aladdin while he was hospitalized).

The gay subtext that Ashman is believed to have put into the music he wrote for Disney is also addressed (though again, if you want to know more about it, I recommend the Dreamsounds channel, which covers this topic in much greater depth). Both Part Of Your World, the iconic “I Want” song from The Little Mermaid that Ashman fought for despite Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg’s objections (the “I Want” song wasn’t Ashman’s invention, but he certainly popularized the term) and The Mob Song from Beauty & The Beast are often believed to have LGBTQ+ themes, though only The Mob Song is brought up to prove this point in the film, with parallels being drawn between the townsfolk’s fear/hatred of the Beast, which results in them marching with pitchforks, gun and torches to kill him, and society’s fear/hatred of the LGBTQ+ community, which expressed itself in similar, and no less brutal, violence. A counterargument is provided that Howard Ashman wasn’t projecting his own experience into the lyrics of his songs, but was instead stepping into the shoes of the characters with the help of his remarkable amount of empathy, but it can’t be argued that a large part of his empathy with the struggles of misunderstood and mistreated characters like Ariel and The Beast is likely to have stemmed from his own struggles being accepted in a homophobic society.

Following the course of one man’s real life story leads us inevitably to Howard Ashman’s last days on earth, with his working partner Alan Menken, The Little Mermaid star Jodi Benson and others sharing their last memories of him, including a prophetic dream of the lyricist wearing black robes which Menken had on the same morning as Ashman’s passing. It goes without saying that the last couple of minutes of the documentary are an emotional ride.

Howard Ashman was able to get a lot done in his life, and several of the interviewees note that his frustration at having so little time left often motivated him to work even harder during his last years. Despite only working on a handful of films for Disney, Ashman shaped the future of the studio, its storytelling and its music, and he continues to impact the way they craft their animated films to this day. The whole Disney Renaissance is largely because of him and the way in which he was able to seamlessly reinvent the studio’s formula to closer match that of the Broadway musicals which he loved. On the stage, of course, he was responsible for the legendary Little Shop Of Horrors musical and was involved with the subsequent film adaptation, which is itself getting a remake sometime in the near future. And he is particularly notable for being able to accomplish so much of this while working as an openly gay man, no easy feat in any time period. In the documentary, he is heard humbly admitting that he doesn’t think of himself as a trailblazer – but there is no question that he was one of the most brilliant minds in music during his time, and that his influence will continue to be felt for a very while.

Movie Rating: 7.5/10

August 11, 2020August 12, 2020

Eurovision Is Being Adapted For The U.S., And Thanks – But No.

Some of you will already know how much I love and adore the Eurovision Song Contest, despite being a citizen of the United States and thus unable to fully revel in the wonders of that annual celebration of campy, joyous, musical mayhem. So you can easily imagine my mixed feelings when I learned today that, while I had been inconvenienced by a power outage that knocked out my internet connection, the United States had made the groundbreaking decision (four days ago! I’ve been oblivious to this for four days!) to start their own song contest, directly inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest and following most of the same rules, which will air sometime in late 2021. This really ought to be a happy occasion: but it’s not, and I have to at least attempt to explain why – though I’m not sure my analysis of the situation will be able to rival The Irish Times‘ scathing breakdown of the differences between Europe and the U.S.A. that will make it impossible for our so-called “American Song Contest” to ever truly compare to the one song contest to rule them all.

Oh, and, uh, quick side-note: this post has nothing to do with movies at all (unless you want to draw a tenuous connection to Netflix’s Eurovision movie, which I reviewed earlier this year), so that just shows you how much this matters to me.

The basic idea of the “American Song Contest” (I will consistently be using quotation-marks to refer to this horrid concept, just be aware of that) is that all fifty states in the United States of America will put forward their very finest musicians and musical acts to compete at one big, glorious event held in the fall or winter – for which I am immediately deducting points because (a) Eurovision has always had a warm, spring/summer energy, best exemplified by almost every recent entry from Cyprus, and (b) Eurovision’s close proximity to Pride Month has helped to make it extremely important to the LGBTQ+ community, with LGBTQ+ friendly music becoming a mainstay at the contest. As of right now, it seems that our version of the contest will only shake up the rules slightly, to include additional qualifier rounds – no states will be automatically guaranteed a place in the finals or semi-finals.

One of the most notable reactions from social media has been to point out that the name “American Song Contest” is misleading and kind of offensive because it implies that this is an international event, with nations from all over the Americas, especially Central American nations with rich and unique musical cultures, participating. But no, the name is a bit of a lie: this is a strictly U.S. event – which, as many have pointed out, might make the contest a little boring. In Eurovision, you have countries as distinct as Italy and Iceland competing; in the “American Song Contest”, there’s no surety of any such diversity among the contestants. I am happy for all the musicians who will undoubtedly get a big break from this contest – just like Eurovision, singers will have to perform original songs: no covers – but I can’t help but be worried that we’re in for a lot of similar country music acts from all the Midwestern states. There’s a bright side (at least for me, personally), which is that Eurovision 2020 contender Lesley Roy, whose pop throwback “Story Of My Life” was one of my favorites out of this year’s many fantastic entries, lives in the U.S. and could definitely shake things up at our “American Song Contest” if she doesn’t return to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2021.

Exacerbating the problem of sameness is the fact that there are sure to be far fewer non-English songs at the “American Song Contest”. One of the strengths of Eurovision is how it allows performers to sing in their native languages, providing much-needed variation while giving viewers around Europe a chance to learn a little something about their neighbors – and also Australia. Obviously, hundreds upon hundreds of languages are spoken in the U.S., but good luck trying to convince whatever TV network this airs on of that. Seeing as they won’t actually need to broaden the contest’s appeal beyond the borders of our one country, it’s hard to imagine many languages besides English (and hopefully Spanish at least) being represented.

Then there’s the major problem with the whole concept, which is, of course, that the United States of America doesn’t really need our own take on the Eurovision Song Contest if we’re not going to do it the right way, unless we actually plan on springboarding from this into Eurovision proper (dear God, I hope not, but it’s now a very real possibility). Eurovision was created as an attempt to patch up the wounds that Europe had suffered during the horrors of World War II by trying to create a friendly, fun, communal experience where countries could both celebrate their differences and simultaneously come together on one stage as a united front (against the Soviet Union, but that’s beside the point). The guiding principle behind the “American Song Contest” is said to be similar, with creator Christer Björkman (a Swede; the one possibly good thing about this whole affair) saying that he wants to use the contest to unite a “fractionalized” America. It’s a nice gesture, but wouldn’t it then make a lot more sense if this contest was open to all of North America instead of just one portion of the continent? As it is, the contest is looking a little bit exclusionary. Even if we’re just sticking to the U.S., why isn’t Puerto Rico being offered a place in the competition? What about Washington D.C.? Björkman said he wanted to unite America “by celebrating its diversity, its distinctions and in pulling everyone around its love of music and its love of song.”, but that’s hard to believe when we’re already cutting so many people out of the equation. Luckily, our nation is diverse enough that we could see singers from a wide variety of backgrounds show up in the running for the grand prize (presumably still just a trophy like at Eurovision, though the U.S. loves its monetary prizes), but somehow it’s hard to imagine we’ll see as much as we would from the real deal – at Eurovision, every year’s lineup includes a couple of acts that celebrate underrepresented ethnic groups or cultures: hopefully that transfers over to the U.S.

When all is said and done, I’m going to be morbidly interested in how this plays out. Which state will be the San Marino of this contest, constantly providing groovy disco bops and freaky music videos? Which state will come in with the showstopping power ballad, or the hard rock hallelujah? Will we get a good variety of musical styles, from techno to gospel to those cringeworthy (yet embarrassingly enjoyable) motivational songs that England always sends to Eurovision? Will my home state of Connecticut make it to the left side of the scoreboard? Will there even be a left side of the scoreboard? I have too many questions, too many mixed feelings, and not as much hope as I would like to have. If it can be pulled off well, we might be in for a real treat. If not, well….there’s always the real Eurovision to look forward to, whenever that comes back.

What was your reaction to hearing about the “American Song Contest”? Share your own thoughts, theories and opinions in the comments below!